Fly fishing is an interesting and varied sport with a seemingly endless array of gadgets and gear. The number of options can be confusing to someone new to the sport. What are the most important pieces of gear for fly fishing? The top 10 pieces of fly fishing gear include a fly fishing rod, reel, line, leader, flies, waders, net, vest, clippers and sunglasses.

The fly fishing rod is the first piece of must-have gear for fly fishing. Fly fishing rods are different from traditional fishing rods and are uniquely designed to allow casting of the fly line and fly. Most rods today are constructed from some type of graphite compound; however, some rods are still made from fiberglass or bamboo. Fly rods are categorized based on the weight of the line they are designed to be used with.

Fly fishing reels are actually less important than rods. Unlike traditional fishing, with fly fishing you do not reel the fish in. Fly fishing techniques involve stripping line with the free hand. Many fly fishing reels are actually quite primitive designs and therefore not all that expensive. Anglers frequently “palm” the reel to create drag rather than relying on internal drag mechanisms in the reel.

Fly fishing line is specially designed for this style of fishing. The line is considerably heavier than traditional fishing line and is frequently tapered and designed to float. Some line is designed to sink, however. Many anglers attach a backer line between the fly fishing line and the reel to increase the available line.

The leader is a clear, monofilament line that attaches to the end of the fly fishing line. The fly is tied onto the end of the leader. The leader is tapered down to a very narrow diameter at the forward end. The leader looks a lot like traditional fishing line.

Flies are available in a wide assortment of styles and designs. Dry flies are designed to float on top of the water, wet flies and nymphs are designed to be submerged, and other flies are designed to be partially submerged. Flies may also be categorized as imitative or attractive. Imitative flies are designed to imitate or look like a particular insect. Attractive flies are designed to attract the fist without looking like any particular natural food source.

Waders may be optional if you are fishing in warm water. However, many anglers fly fish in cold water streams and find waders absolutely essential. Popular wader styles today include neoprene waders and waders with a waterproof lining. Neoprene waders work well in cold water and serve to keep the angler warm. Waders with a waterproof lining are breathable and convenient when hiking alongside a stream.

A net is another essential piece of fly fishing equipment. Since fly fishing is usually done while standing in the water it can be very difficult to land a fish without a good net. Nets frequently have a hook attached so that the net can be hooked onto the anglers waders or vest. A net is also particularly important if the angler is practicing catch and release fishing.

Since fly fishing is usually done in the water a fishing vest is a near-essential piece of equipment. Vests allow you to keep essential tools and gear neat and handy for when you need it.

Clippers are very useful for clipping line when changing flies. You will rarely see a fly fisherman without clippers in their vest or pocket.

Sunglasses are one piece of personal gear you will not want to forget. Sunglasses keep the sun out of your eyes as well as protecting your eyes from stray fishing hooks. Good quality, polarized sunglasses will also help you see much better while out on the stream. Many anglers would also add a hat and sunscreen to the list of essential personal gear.

There are many more pieces of gear and gadgets that are available for the fly fisherman. These ten items are perhaps the most essential for a fun and successful outing though.

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There is something about fly fishing that captures the hearts of many fishermen. To many people, the point of fishing is simply to catch a fish. However, this is not the case when it comes to fly fishing. Of course the fly fisherman wants to catch a fish. He actually devotes an extraordinary amount of energy, time and ingenuity to doing just that. But there is more to fly fishing than just catching a fish. He is interested in the activity itself. It is the act of fishing from which the fly fisherman derives so much pleasure, not just from the end result.

What is it about fly fishing that makes it so enticing? There is one main physical difference between other types of fishing and fly fishing. That difference may be the key to the enjoyment so many find in the sport of fly fishing. In all other forms of casting, the fisherman is throwing a weight on the end of his line, whether it is a lure or a sinker. Certainly, this does require a great amount of precision, but it is essentially like throwing a rock in the water. The fly fisherman, on the other hand, is casting only the weight of the line itself, which is spread out over 30 or 40 feet of line. The tiny fly at the end of the line is virtually weightless, and it provides no momentum at all. Fly fishing requires precision, delicacy, a gentle fine touch.

Many fly fishermen want to learn as much as they can about their sport, not just about fishing techniques. That includes the study of the insects that the fish feed on, studying the freshwater habitats, leaning about the history and lore of their sport, as well as the techniques of fly casting and fly tying. The fly fisherman has to be aware of everything from the cycles of the seasons to the life cycles of the insects. Fly fishing is not just another method of catching fish.

Fly fishing embraces the rhythm of nature as well as the rhythm of the rod. The rhythm of the rod carries your mind, body and spirit to the water. Whether you catch a fish are not, the water will always give you a little bit of its own, strength, some of its energy, and the wonderful feeling of peace.

The sport of fly fishing takes place in some of the most beautiful settings of the world including mountain streams, scenic lakes, the ocean’s shorelines, and out on the high seas. Fly fishermen see and appreciate the wonders of nature. They care about the fish as well as the environment. Many of them take a proactive stance on environmental issues.

An anonymous fisherman once said fly fishing has a special hold on the spirit of man. This is because of all forms of fishing, it requires a perfect balance between discipline and freedom. Perhaps part if the mysterious allure of fly fishing is the feeling of harmony with nature and the gentle balance between man and fish.

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The sport of fly fishing consists of many specialized skills that come together in a delicate balance of rhythm and precision. Setting the hook is one of those specialized skills. Many times the techniques for setting the hook are neglected by fly fishermen who spend many hours practicing and reading about casting and fly tying skills. Unlike many of the skills of fly fishing, it is almost impossible to practice setting the hook without a live fish on the end of your fly line.

The first step in a successful hook actually begins when you tie your fly, either at home or on the river bank. It is very important to make sure that your hooks are razor-sharp. A dull hook doesn’t have a good chance of finding its mark in the mouth of the trout.

In most fly fishing techniques it is important to set the hook as quickly as possible. If the water is fast, the trout usually strikes the fly very quickly and with a lot of force. It won’t take long for the trout to realize that he has an artificial fly in his mouth, and he can, and will spit it out in a split second.

Fly fishing in slow moving water is the one exception to setting the hook as quickly as possible. When the water is slow trout feed in a more leisurely fashion. They may require a second or two in order to take the fly. If you set the hook too soon, you’ll most likely pull the fly away from the trout. However, if you set the hook too late the trout may have already spit it out. There again is the delicate balance so often seen in fly fishing.

Sometimes while fly fishing the fishermen becomes so excited when he hooks a trout that he sets the hook with too much force. This usually results in broken tippits. Setting the hook quickly, doesn’t mean pulling on it with great force. One way to avoid broken tippits is to use a slip strike which cushions the tippit.

If you are fly fishing using an upstream presentation, strip in the line with your line hand at the moment that you set the hook. This will remove most of the slack in the line and improve your chances for a good hook set.

When setting the hook using surface techniques of fly fishing, it is very important that you are able to see your fly in order to get a good hook set. If you are fly fishing using an underwater technique, it is essential that you can see your indicator when setting the hook. In both instances timing is very important.

Many experienced fly fishermen spend a lot of time imagining the strike and thinking about how they will move when they set the hook. They do this because they know that in fly fishing, the more imaginary trout you hook and land in your mind, the better your chances of taking an actual fish.

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Now, this is not about something that happened to me, but rather to a friend of mine who lives, eats, and breathes fishing on a daily basis. I have his permission to write the story, and it’s just too good not to relay it to all those folks out there that work so hard to get good fishing stories. Just keep in mind that I’m telling the story of someone else.

My friend goes fishing out on the local lakes at least two to three times a week. He has a big truck, a nice boat, and more fishing rods than you can shake a stick at. He estimates that he spends some 18-20 hours per week hunting those ever-elusive creatures of the deep.

At any rate, this friend of mine decided to take yet another friend out fishing as he had expressed an interest in it. Large-mouth bass was the object of desire for that particular outing. The two of them spent some seven hours out on the water drinking beer, getting a sunburn, and bringing home a whopping 15 lbs of fish in the form of 3 large-mouths to show for the day. At the end of the day, the seemingly new fisherman said to my friend “You work too hard at fishing…Come over to my place next week and I’ll show you how I go fishing!”

So, the eventful day comes and my friend pays a visit to this man’s 20 acre ranch with it’s very own fully stocked pond. They walk together down to the dock and the man says, “Now I’m going to show you how to fish the easy way!” He pulls out a child size spider-man pole that he has stashed on the side of the dock, and drops the hook in the water sans bait, lure, or anything recognizable as a tempting treat for a bass. Just a bare hook. Within 2 minutes, the guy is pulling a sizeable bass from the pond! In the space of 15 minutes, the man had pulled four fish totaling about 20 lbs out of that pond. He looked at my friend and says “Like I told you, you work too hard at fishing!”

The next time you’re out scrambling around in your bass boat, trying to get those elusive buggers to bite so you can have a nice dinner that night, think about how easy this guy has it. It’s almost laughable to think that it could be so easy, if only we all had a nice big ranch with a fully stocked pond. But then again, where’s the challenge? Right?

By: Allen B.

For information on the care and feeding of your fishing reels, be sure and visit Fishing Reels Guide today!

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Iowa Outdoors has a story about a new aeration system at Rice Lake whichi has been helping provide more consistent fishing in the area.  here is an excerpt of the story here

Although the DNR conducts annual maintenance stockings of northern pike into Rice Lake, the initial source of this fall’s walleye fest remains a mystery. DNR fisheries personnel are quick to note that Rice Lake has no official status as an Iowa walleye fishery. And although the lake has yielded several impressive limits of walleyes during late October, the fish should merely be regarded by anglers as a “pleasant bonus” says DNR fisheries technician, Scott Grummer.

Click Here To Read Story

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No one really knows when fly fishing first began. It is believed that it existed long ago in ancient times. One of the earliest written references to fly fishing was made by Claudius Aelianus. In 200 AD he wrote of people that were fishing in a river with a hand made fly. He described how they attached red wool and feathers to a hook. The rods they used and the sting attached were each about six feet long. These people were the ancient Macedonians. Throughout history from Aelianus to the present people have been writing about fly fishing, and many thousands of others have been enjoying the sport.

The Princess of Soapwell, English, was an avid fly fisherman. Her name was Dame Juliana Berners and she was a master at her sport. At the time Columbus was searching for the New World, Dame Juliana was publishing an extensive treatise on the art of fly fishing. In her treatise she described the twelve styles of fly and included extensive instructions on how to tie them. She patterns were put into categories by the month that they were used most often.

She also described the rod that was used for fly fishing during that time. It measured about 18 feet long and was very flexible, The rods were made of several different types of wood which added to their flexibility. Their lines were short, by today’s standards, and were made of hand braided horse hair. The general rule of the time was that the line should not be longer then the fishing rod. The line was tied to the tip of the pole.

Many fly fishermen of today have used her patterns for the fly. They say they are just as effective today as they were more than five hundred years ago. Several of the more popular patterns include the Black Gnat, the Wooly Worm, the Stonefly and the Whirling Dun.

In the mid 1600’s Isaak Walton published his book “Compleat Angler.” Throughout history from then on, Izaak Walton has been considered the patron saint on angling, and of fly fishing in particular. In truth, it was actually his friend, Charles Cotton, that had contributed the portion of the book that pertained to fly fishing. The flies and rods described in this book were very similar to those described by Dame Juliana. However, the lines described were slightly different. They were still made of horsehair but were about six feet longer then those of the 1400’s. The main difference was that some of the lines were tapered. It is believed that this was the first time tapered lines were described in writing.

In the early 1800’s, fishing line makers began mixing silk in with the horsehair. By the time of the Civil War the first all silk lines were made. They were coated with an oily coating which made them water resistant. Horsehair lines were almost never used after that. Occasionally they were found in England up to World War II.

The first nylon line was made in 1948 and from that point forward synthetic materials have been used by most people for fly fishing. In 1952, a technology was created that made an automatically tapered line withe extreme precision.

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While surfing the web today I found some good fishing photos on Canadian Biker of Steve Drane of Steve Drane Harley Davidson and Len Creed of Canadian Biker Magazine on a fishing trip to Naden Lodge.   Looks like they had a good time.  Click Here To View Photos

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